Gold Line train and car collide, five hurt

A Metro Gold Line commuter train headed toward downtown Friday morning struck a car on the tracks and burst into flames during rush hour, leaving five injured, authorities said.

The train and vehicle collided around 7:20 a.m. at Avenue 50 and Figueroa Street in the Highland Park area.

The Metro Gold Line commuter train caught fire and received “significant damage” before it was doused, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Ron Myers.

Three people were transported to the hospital and two others were treated at the scene, Myers said. He couldn’t immediately say whether the injured were in the car or the train. Televised news reports showed what appeared to be the charred wreckage of a van lying next to the front of the train.

A crossing gate nearby had been torn off but the cause of the accident was not immediately determined.

Source: Daily News wires